The chairman of the Associated Press says he's "mad as hell" at people who don't pay for news. Is that why his newspaper is reportedly impossible to cancel?

As newspapers bleed print readers, the Los Angeles Daily News seems to have hit upon a circulation strategy that WORKS: make it super hard to stop delivery, then sic a collection agency on delinquent "subscribers."

Think this will only work on gullible old ladies? Think again. We heard from a would-be-former News subscriber who is gainfully employed at a public relations agency.

That's right: even flacks, who take pride in bending newspapermen to their will, have trouble wriggling out of their News subscriptions.

Our tipster has tried calling, twice, but was put on hold for more than half an hour each time. She tried letters, of a sort, and even emailing the publisher and top editors. No dice. See her account below.

Perhaps the source of her headaches is obvious: the News is owned by Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group. Singleton, presently chairman of the Associated Press, just gave a speech saying he's "mad as hell" at those who would "walk off with our work" online. With that much anger at the top of the organization, maybe it was inevitable some non-customers in the offline world would get burned, as well.